


When A Pizzeria's This Messy, Something's Going On

by Zyzzyva



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Cheesy happy ending, M/M, kinda depressing i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 16:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8852479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zyzzyva/pseuds/Zyzzyva
Summary: When Mike Shmidt gets a job at Freddy Fazbear's, he has no idea what he's in for.





	1. Chapter 1

When I got the job, I was expecting it to be easy. How hard could watching robots be, you know?

Yeah, yeah, I know. But I didn't have many other options, and I needed the money. I didn't really look into it, I suppose. But now, I wouldn't change what happened for the world.

As I walked into the pizzeria that afternoon, I couldn't help but be a bit freaked out by the animatronics on stage. They looked so real. That was why they appealed to children, I supposed. But they still looked incredibly like humans, besides their ears.

I spotted the owner and went over to him.

"Hi," I said. "I'm Mike Shmidt. I'm here to apply for the night shift."

He smiled brightly at me. "Great! I'm Mr. Henries. If you'll follow me to the office, I can give you the keys."

I nodded and followed him. I looked around. The office was dark, and pretty messy. It didn't look like it belonged in a children's pizzeria.

He handed me the keys. They were small and a brass color.

"Alright, now back to the stage." He led me back to where the animatronics where performing. He gestured to them. "These are our three stars." He smiled fondly. "There's Chica-" he motioned to a girl with short blond hair, dressed in a yellow dress with an apron that said 'LET'S EAT' in big letters. She was the backup singer in the trio.

"Bonnie-" a short boy with purple hair and red eyes. He was dressed in a purple suit jacket with a red bowtie. He had purple rabbit ears atop his head. He was playing a red electric guitar.

"And, of course, Freddy." He had brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a brown suit with a red bowtie. He had two brown bear ears and a mini top hat. He was the main singer.

"Also, there are tow decommissioned animatronics I want to show you," he said, leading me over to Pirate's Cove. It had an 'Out of Order' sign in front of a purple curtain. "Behind this curtain is Foxy." He pulled it back to show me.

I stepped inside to inspect him. He lay on the floor, almost in a fetal position. He had red hair, and an eyepatch over his left eye. He was dressed in full pirate garb, with a hook for his left hand. He had red fox ears. If I hadn't known he was an animatronic, I would have thought he was breathing.

I nodded and stepped back out. "Cool. You said you had one more to show me?"

"I'm not gonna show you the last guy. He's completely shut off. In the basement, even. He's never comin' back."

I frowned. "What happened to him?"

"He malfunctioned really bad a few years. Spazzed out and everything. They had to shut him down completely, unlike this guy, who's just sleeping, waiting to be fixed." He kicked Foxy's side, and I almost thought I saw the animatronic flinch.

I smiled at him. "The shift starts at 12:00, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll have Payton leave you a voicemail on what to do."

"Who's Payton?" I asked.

"Payton Call. He's a former nightguard. Now he usually works in the office on the day shift, but he took the day off. Too bad. I think you'd like him. He's a bit of a character though."

I grinned. "Nice. I'll look forward to meeting him. I'll be back for my shift."


	2. Chapter 2

That night when I came in, it was deadly quiet, and super dark. I walked quickly to the office, kind of freaked out by the atmosphere.

I sat down and started playing the voicemail.

-Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night. Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay?-

What'd he mean by that?

-Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know. Um, "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced.-

What is this about bleaching the premises? What even is this?

-Blah blah blah, now that might sound bad, I know-

Ya think?

-But there's really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay.-

What even?

-So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh...Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?-

I certainly didn't need to hear that. What is this?

-Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll p-most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit. Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh.-

What?! Was he saying I was gonna die?!

-Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night.-

Alright, I need to process this. I searched for a logical explanation. The owner had said Payton was a character. Did he mean that Payton was gonna prank me? That had to be it. Yet part of me wasn't so sure.

I took at look at the cameras. It was 1:00 AM already. When I looked at the stage, Chica wasn't there. I gasped and flipped through the cameras. She was already at the end of the hall!

My breathing quickened. If this was an elaborate prank, it was extremely well done.

I turned on the door light to see her at the window. I let out a shriek and slammed the door shut.

I sincerely hoped this was a prank. It was 3:00 already, but I only had 40% battery left.

I checked the camera. Chica was back at the end of the hall. I opened the door and sighed. It was going to be a long night.

When 6:00 AM rolled around, I watched the animatronics turn and marched back to their places. Then I ran out as well. I'd pay Mr. Henries a visit that day.

Meanwhile, I tried to sleep but couldn't. I couldn't get Chica's stare out of my head. She had wanted to kill me. She couldn't, could she? She was an animatronic, a robot; she didn't have volition. She couldn't want things. Could she?


	3. Chapter 3

I stormed across the pizzeria to Mr. Henries. "Why didn't you tell me they were murderous?"

"Shh. Follow me." He led me to a back room. "Payton explained, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, no proper night mode, etc. Doesn't change the fact they want to kill me!"

"I'll call Payton over. Maybe he can spend the night with you." He went in search of the fellow guard.

Though I didn't want to get the other guy killed, it would be nice to have company.

He soon returned with someone rolling behind him.

The guy smiled at me. He was in a wheelchair, the sort you had to roll manually. He had black hair and green eyes. He wore glasses. He had a pleasant smile.

Though I didn't want to, I had to ask myself something. How much help would a guy in a wheelchair be? If he had survived more than a week here, he had to be skilled, but how?

I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, I decided. I just had to hope for the best.

"Payton, this is Mike. Mike, Payton. I'll leave you two to chat. I should watch the pizzeria." Mr. Henries left.

"So, he wants you to spend the night with me so I don't die," I said.

"Yeah," he said, sighing.

"I know I can't ask you to, but I would appreciate the help." I smiled.

He looked around the pizzeria. "I'd really, really prefer not to. But there've been enough accidents. Enough deaths. I'll stay." He smiled happily.

I let out a breath I hadn't know I'd been holding. "Thank you so much."

He grinned. He was cute. You're welcome."

That night at 11:30 I met Payton outside the pizzeria. He had on the purple security outfit I was also wearing.

"You ready?" I asked him.

He took a shaky breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."

I smiled reassuringly (or tried to) and we went inside.

As we waited for 12:00, we distracted each other by trying to get to know each other. Just as I'd hoped, he was smart, and he knew everything about Freddy Fazbear's.

Then 12:00 struck. We stared at each other, both of us having dreaded the moment.

Suddenly he was all business, checking the cameras at the speed of light. He sighed, looking up at me. "They shouldn't move for maybe a half hour, if we're lucky. Usually my voicemail's playing now. Don't forget to use the door lights, by the way," he added.

"Payton, how many night guards have there been?'

"I dunno. Probably fifty or so."

"How many have survived?"

"I'm not sure. About ten have simply gone missing, and a lot more have died. Some have gone crazy, and oh so many have quit."

I nodded as he checked the cams again.

"But you know, things have happened on the day shift too."

"Yeah, I know."

"Oh no," he groaned, taking a deep breath. "Foxy's almost out."

"Foxy comes out?!" I asked. "You're kidding!"

He shook his head. "Wish I was." He looked again, gasped, and had me close the left door.

I heard footsteps and pounding on the door. Then a voice. "Let me in, night guards!"

Payton gasped again. "Never happened before," he muttered under his breath.

"They can speak at night?" I asked him.

"I didn't think so." He bit his lip.

'Well, we can!" Foxy shouted, pounding on the door. "Let me in!"

"Why?" I asked. "You'll just kill us!"

"I won't!" He said indignantly.

"Whatever. Not letting you in."

He sighed. "Guess I'll just be staying here until ye run out of power."

I glanced at the time. It was 3:00. We had 45%.

"Don't you dare," I hissed. He chuckled.

"What are you?" I asked. "The robots who are supposedly the most advanced are no where near as advanced as you."

"Things aren't always as they seem," he said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

We talked for the rest of the night. Payton said nothing, but watched the conversation (and cams, of course) closely. I tried to get Foxy to glitch even slightly, asking things in the most complicated way I could. It didn't work.

That morning, Payton and I stumbled out of the pizzeria, both of us in a daze.

"We should tell Mr. Henries," I said.

He nodded in agreement and we went out separate ways.


	4. Chapter 4

At around 12:30, we went to go see Mr. Henries.

"Hey," Payton said.

"Hello! How did your night go?" He asked.

"Well enough. We have a question, though."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"The animatronics. They talk at night, too. They can have intelligent conversations," I said.

"Really? Well, we'll see about that."

"We were wondering if we could see Foxy now." I smiled.

"Was he the one that spoke to you?"

"Yeah."

"I'll go check him out. I'll tell you when you can see him. Get some pizza in the meantime. It's free for employees." He smiled and went off in the direction of Pirate Cove.

Payton frowned. "I wonder why he wants to see Foxy before us."

I shrugged. "Probably just to see if he's malfunctioning."

"I wouldn't call it a malfunction, exactly."

I shrugged again, and we went to get pizza.

Maybe half an hour later, we got to see Foxy. The owner had turned him on, so he was sitting in Pirate Cove. For some reason, he looked like he had a few bruises and a cut-like thing on his cheek. He looked solemn, almost sad.

"Hey Foxy," I said hesitantly.

He looked up, with no sound of gears like I would have expected. He smiled cheerfully, but it seemed forced. "Ahoy mateys!"

"What's up?"

He stood up almost too smoothly for an animatronic. "Oh, nothin'." He chuckled.

I nodded. "Well, alright."

He seemed different than yesterday. Less human, more like the robot he was supposed to be.

I reached forward and touched the 'cut' on his cheek. It seemed like it was real, and his skin felt… Human. Not fake, like you would expect.

He frowned and pulled back. "What are ye doin'?"

"What happened to your cheek?" I asked.

"Nothin'." His frown increased.

"Hmmm." I turned to Payton. "Are we done?"

He nodded.

"Thanks, Foxy." We left.

"So, you really didn't know they could speak at night?"

He shook his head. "I didn't."

I sighed. "I wonder why Foxy decided to. But he seemed different today."

"Yeah. More like a robot."

"Definitely. And more… Forced cheerful."

He frowned. "I was going to say that, too."

"It was strange." I yawned. "Meet you back here tonight?"

He nodded and we went our separate ways.

At 11:30 that night, we gathered once again at the front door before entering.

"You know, if Foxy stays outside all night like last night, we'll run out of power. Things get real tonight," Payton said, frowning.

I sighed. "I know."

He nodded grimly, and we entered.

 

I turned on the door-light to see Bonnie's grinning face before slamming the door. I looked at the time, frowning. "It's 4:00 AM, and no sign of Foxy. What do you think's going on?"

Payton shrugged. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

I chuckled. "Whatever."

5:00 AM.

5%.

4%.

3%.

2%.

1%.

0%.

The lights flickered off, the door slamming open. We heard the signature footsteps of Foxy the Pirate. Payton hugged me tightly, trembling. I waited for certain death, my breathing uneven. I squeezed my eyes shut.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, tentative. I opened my eyes to see Foxy looking down at me. I gasped.

He had a few more cuts on his face and hand, including a long, deep gash on his forehead. He smiled slightly.

I let out a shaky breath, and Payton opened his eyes, looking at Foxy with just as much confusion as I felt.

"Foxy," I whispered. "What are you doing?"

"I…" He trailed off, his amber eye rolling back as he collapsed. Out of instinct, I caught him as he fell, laying him on the sticky, carpeted floor.

I saw that the cut on his head was bleeding. "How…" I asked.

Payton leaned down. "He needs medical attention."

I heard a gasp behind me. I watched Chica storm into the room, her orange boots somehow stomping on the carpet. "What happened?!" She asked us angrily.

"He fainted from blood loss," Payton explained.

She gasped again. "Mr. Henries! He's been beating Foxy again. Oh, he'll pay!"

"Calm down," another voice said, one with a British accent. It was Bonnie, coming into the room. "We'll be in enough trouble ourselves."

"Wait, Mr. Henries has been beating Foxy?" I asked, looking down at the red haired boy.

"Because he's not 'robotic' enough," Chica explained, kneeling down next to him.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You are robots."

"Partly," Bonnie said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Payton asked.

"Do you know about the murders?" Freddy asked from the doorway. I hadn't heard him approach. Now that I looked at him, he seemed almost hesitant to enter.

"Of course!" Payton exclaimed.

I shook my head.

"Well. It was when a man dressed in a Freddy Fazbear suit supposedly murdered five children. No one knows what happened to them," Freddy explained quietly. Chica had gone and returned with a First Aid kit and had started bandaging Foxy's head.

He blinked, opening his eye.

"How do you feel?" Bonnie asked him.

"Meh," he mumbled, rubbing his eye.

Bonnie chuckled. "Better than nothing."

Foxy rolled over, hiding his face in Bonnie's lap and groaning again.

Freddy gasped from the doorway. "It's almost 6:00."

"What do we do with Foxy?" Chica asked worriedly.

Freddy thought for a moment, but he didn't seem all that worried. Looking at him, I started to get the impression he didn't really care what happened to Foxy. He sighed decidedly. "Foxy, we'll take you to Pirate Cove. Chica, Bonnie, take him back there then go back to the stage."

They nodded and did as they were told.

After they left, Freddy fixed us with a wary stare. His eyes were such an electric blue, it was really unsettling. "Why did you save him?"

Payton shrugged. "I don't know. What else would I have done?"

He bowed his head. "I know we can come off as… Unpredictable, but we're not murderous." He looked pointedly at me and chuckled.

I blushed.

6:00 AM.

He turned and went back to the stage.

Payton and I stared at each other, said goodnight (morning, really) and went our separate ways to try to figure out what in the world had happened that night.


	5. Chapter 5

My phone rang at 12:30 that day. I'd been asleep, and it woke me.

I pushed answer. "Hello?" I asked groggily.

"Hello." The first thing I noticed was that the voice was disguised, but not well. I could tell it was a guy, but not much else. "Is this Mike Shmidt?"

I frowned, uncertain. "Yes…?"

"Good. I wanted to tell you something." They sounded pleased about something.

"Yeah? Go ahead." It was probably a bad idea, but I was curious.

"Stop fraternizing with the animatronics. I payed the same call to your friend, Payton Call. He refused. It won't end well for him, unfortunately."

I gasped. First of all, he knew about the animatronics. He knew my full name and Payton's as well. Who was he?

He chuckled and hung up. I bit my lip and called Payton. No answer. It occurred to me I had no idea where he lived.

I leaned back, putting the phone down. What could I do now?

I decided to take a walk, and of course it led me straight to the pizzeria.

Walking in the doors, I looked around. The atmosphere had changed. Instead of playing, the children were strangely quiet. The parents were guiding them away from the stage. I realized many of the children were crying.

I went towards the stage, walking quickly. I hadn't changed from my uniform, so I still looked like I worked there.

Freddy.

He lay on the stage, spasming wildly. Chica was facing away, hiding in Bonnie's stomach. He hugged her tightly.

I half ran onto the stage, kneeling next to the two day guards besides Freddy.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"He just started glitching. Like the last one."

"Foxy?"

"Nah, the other one. I'm not supposed to mention him. Bad luck or something." The guard shrugged.

I frowned and leaned over Freddy. His eyes were closed, his mouth open.

"We'll have to reset him," the guard said.

Chica gasped, hugging Bonnie tighter.

I frowned again. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

He shrugged. "If you have another idea, go ahead. Do whatever you want."

I narrowed my eyes. "Fine. I will."

He chuckled and walked away with the other guard.

They closed the pizzeria and left.

I looked up at Chica and Bonnie. "Do you have any ideas?"

Bonnie leaned down, leaving Chica still standing. "I'm not sure. His machinery is different. Then again, we're all different."

I nodded. "What caused the glitch?"

"I'm not sure."

"Wait, do you see that button? In his mouth?" Chica pointed.

I nodded again. "Should I push it?"

She nodded, and I pushed it. Freddy stopped shaking.

"It might take a while for him to wake up," Bonnie said. "We should get him backstage."

"Yeah. I'll help."

Chica and I picked him up, slinging his arms over our shoulders. Bonnie hovered around, evidently worried.

After we lay him down, I turned to Chica. "Do you know how Foxy is recovering?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! We could go see him if you want!"

I smiled. "That's be great."

"Great!" She grinned, and flounced down the hallway.

I looked at Bonnie. "Are you coming?'

He shook his head. "I'll keep an eye on Freddy."

I nodded. "Good idea."

He smiled, waving me on to Chica.

I followed her down the hallway. It was so different in daylight. Not as menacing, definitely. More colorful.

We reached Pirate Cove, and Chica rapped on the 'Out of Order' sign.

He came to the curtain, pulling it aside. He looked annoyed, but smiled when he saw it was me.

"Mike!" He said by way of greeting. "Great to see ya!" The bandage was gone, the cut half healed already.

I grinned. "You too, Foxy."

He frowned, looking around. "Is the pizzeria closed already?"

Chica sighed. "It is. Freddy glitched earlier, when we were on stage."

Foxy gasped. "Is he alright?"

Chica bit her lip. "He'll probably be alright. Mike pushed a button to shut him off for a moment, but he'll probably wake up soo."

Foxy nodded. "That's good-"

Bonnie ran in, panting from running backstage. "Mike, Freddy's awake. He wants to see you!"


	6. Chapter 6

I grinned. "Already? That's great."

He smiled and walked with me back to the backstage. When we got there, he went inside, and I followed him.

Freddy had been propped up against the wall, looking exhausted. However, his eyes were bright, and he nodded when he saw me. "Mike."

"Freddy." I smiled. "How do you feel?"

He sighed. "Like death, but that's to be expected. Thank you, by the way."

I nodded. "No problem."

"First, Foxy, and now me. What's happening?" He asked, removing his hat and playing with it absentmindedly. He looked up. "Bonnie, could you leave the room?"

The purple-haired boy nodded. "Of course, Freddy."

In that moment, it occurred to me just how much they must trust Freddy. He was their leader, and they looked up to him. It couldn't be easy on Freddy, I thought. He had to lead them when he wasn't much older than them himself.

Freddy smiled and watched him leave before turning back to me. He patted the floor next for me to sit down. I obliged.

He rubbed his eyes, sighing. "Why did you help us, Mike? Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into?"

"I got phone call today. It told me to stop 'fraternizing' with you guys."

He started breathing heavy. "Then you must leave immediately."

"Hey, stop that. You're gonna overheat," I said, frowning.

He chuckled bitterly. "I'm not able to overheat, Mike."

"What? How?" I asked.

"I don't have any parts that are able to."

"But all robots-"

"Never mind, Mike."

I frowned. "Okay…"

"I told you of the murders… It's best if you don't know. You must leave, Mike." He gripped my arm.

"I have to come back for my shift, though, in…" I looked at my watch. "Two hours."

He nodded. "But don't talk to us. Tell Payton, as well-"

"Payton! Apparently he got the call as well. And I don't know what happened to him." I took a deep breath.

His eyes widened and he tried to get up.

"Woah!" I said, catching him as he almost fell. "Sit back down!"

He took a shaky breath. "Addresses… Employees… Drawers…" I helped him sit and went to the desk, looking through the drawers until I found the right one. I flipped through the files.

Adams… Adelaide… Bronners… Bronning… Cadey… Call!

I looked through his file. Employee since 1986, wow. Originally on the night shift until a year ago, transferred to the day shift, injured on the job, but came back to work after he recovered. Didn't say what happened, though.

Alright. Phone, number, and… Address!

I grasped the paper. "Thank you so much, Freddy!"

He nodded. "Now go. I'll tell the others they shouldn't talk to you."

I sighed. "Alright. But I think I deserve a better explanation."

He sighed. "If I can."

I nodded and rushed out. I'd forgotten my car that day. I groaned. Payton might be in danger, and I had to run to his house? I sighed once more and set off.


	7. Chapter 7

I almost ran past Payton's house. It was tiny, stuck in between two large houses.

The door was open, the house completely trashed. I gasped and went further into the house. "Payton?"

Room after room, completely destroyed. I eventually found Payton in a backroom, his office.

He was lying on the floor, completely unmoving. He'd fallen from his wheelchair.

I gasped and knelt next to him, shaking him lightly. He had scars on his face and scalp I hadn't noticed before because of his hair.

He blinked, looking up at me. His eyes widened. "Mike, behind you!"

I moved aside just in time to avoid being hit by a metal rod. It landed next to Payton, who yelped in surprise.

I turned around to see a man about my age, pulling back for another hit to my head. For a millisecond, I thought it was Bonnie because of his purple girl, but then I noticed his sharp features, and knew it couldn't be.

I managed to dodge it again, but it hit my ankle. I hissed at the pain and the man chuckled.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"Some call me a murderer. Some call me the Purple Guy. Most call me Vincent." He laughed again.

Payton took a shaky breath from behind me. "What happened to you, Vince?"

"You," said Vincent coldly.

"What do you mean?" He asked pleadingly.

Vincent snarled. "Do you know how hard it was for me? You don't understand, Pay."

"You disappeared!" Payton exclaimed. "I thought you were dead, Vince."

Vincent sighed. "That makes two of us." He sat down on the floor, all energy apparently gone.

I wanted to ask what they were talking, but I didn't want Vincent to try to kill me again.

"Why did you kill them?" Payton asked softly.

"I didn't kill them," Vincent said with a confused look on his face.

Payton raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"I didn't kill them," Vincent whined, sounding like a little kid.

"What… What happened to them then?"

Vincent laughed. "He should know." He gestured to me.

Suddenly it hit me. "The animatronics!"

"Look who's a clever boy." Vincent laughed again.

Payton gasped. "No…" He turned to Vincent, angry. "You're a monster!"

Vincent frowned. "Take that back, Pay."

"No!"

He pulled out a knife. "Take. It. Back."

Payton's eyes widened, and he swallowed nervously. "Calm down, Vince."

Vince shook his head. "No, Pay. This is your fault."

I rushed forward, disarming Vincent and pushing him to the floor, grunting at the effort.

Vincent struggled. "You'll regret this, Mike Shmidt."

I chuckled and grabbed the wire from Payton's computer, using it to tie him up and hoping it would hold. I went to the kitchen, looking for Payton's phone.

Suddenly I heard a crash and a door slamming. I went back to the office.

Payton was still on the floor, staring towards the door. He sighed. "He escaped."

I nodded. "What happened between you and him?" I asked as I helped him back into his wheelchair.

He groaned and massaged his legs as best he could. "We dated. We were both night guards, before I got moved to the day shift."

I raised an eyebrow. "You dated him? You don't exactly seem the type for crazy murderers."

He sighed. "I guess what happened to me was hard for him."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Mike, have you heard of the Bite of '87?"

I nodded, thinking. "I know some guy got attacked by an animatronic." I gasped. "Was that you?"

He nodded. "You know my voice-mail the first night?"

I thought back. "You lost your frontal lobe? And control of your legs?"

He nodded, frowning. "Yup. I was in a coma for around six months, after that. I guess it was hard on Vince."

I scoffed. "Harder for you! He should have been doting on you, not mutilating little kids!"

He laughed. "Thanks, Mike. I needed that."

I smiled. "No problem."

I remembered something. "How long were you unconscious?"

He frowned. "I don't know. What time was the phone call this morning?"

I paled. "I'm sorry I didn't come earlier."

He gasped. "What time is it? We still have work!"

I groaned and looked at my watch. "It's exactly 12:00 now."

He sighed. "Great. Did you bring a car?"

I shook my head. "No. I forgot it today."

He grimaced. "Public transport it is then. I obviously don't have a car."

"It'll be easier to walk," I said. "That's how I got here."

He shrugged. "Alright then."

We then set off. I pushed part of the way, though he protested.


	8. Chapter 8

When we reached the pizzeria, Chica immediately bombarded us. "Look, I don't care what Freddy says. Are you alright?"

I laughed. "We're fine, Chica. And we need to talk to Freddy anyways."

"'Kay. He's still backstage, but he's doing better."

Payton looked at me in confusion.

"Freddy malfunctioned earlier," I explained.

He frowned. "Ouch."

I nodded grimly. "Let's go."

We went to backstage, where Freddy was sitting and waiting for us.

He smiled as he saw us. "I'm glad to see you're alright."

I nodded. "Thank you, but we have to tell you something."

"Yes?" He frowned.

"I think it would be better if we had everyone here," Payton said.

"I'll go get them," I said.

I found Bonnie first, on the stage. I asked him to go get Chica before going to Pirate Cove to find Foxy.

I knocked on the 'Out of Order' sign.

"Foxy? Can you come backstage for a sec?"

I heard a yawn and Foxy came out. He looked half asleep, and he didn't have his pirate coat on. "Eh? What for?"

"You'll see," I said. "Now c'mon."

He sighed and followed me back to Freddy and the others.

"So, what is this all about?" Chica asked.

"We know what happened to you," Payton started.

"We were attacked by Vincent earlier. That's why we were late."

Freddy blanched and Chica whimpered slightly. Foxy put an arm around Bonnie, who was trembling.

"Are you okay?" Chica asked, reaching out an arm to us.

I nodded. "Yeah. But we just wanted to know what exactly happened. If you can tell us, that is," I said, seeing how sad they looked.

Freddy sighed, looking down. "No, it's alright. We have to talk about it sometime."

Bonnie whimpered, hiding his face in Foxy's chest. Foxy held him close. "It's alright."

Freddy continued, but sent a concerned look in their direction. "We were young, and oh so naive. We were told there was something special in the backroom that he wanted to show us." He let out what was almost a sound of pain. "If we'd listened to Goldie-" another heavy sigh- "this wouldn't have happened to him…"

Payton rolled over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Who's Goldie?" I asked.

"He was Freddy's brother," Chica explained.

"He is my brother," Freddy snapped. He looked more angry than I'd ever seen him.

"Freddy," Chica said sadly. "He's broken."

"He's not. He's not broken." Freddy struggled to his feet before turning and slamming a fist into the wall.

"Freddy!" Foxy exclaimed. Bonnie whimpered again.

Freddy took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. But he's my brother."

I nodded. "We understand, Freddy."

"So Vince lured you into the backroom. Then what happened?" Payton asked.

"He gagged and bound us, before dragging us down to the basement. There were lots of parts down there, so he could do what he wanted. He took a knife, and…" Chica looked down.

I gasped and hugged her. "I'm so sorry."

Goldie was the only one who doubted him at first," Foxy said.

"So they just decided that they'd use you as animatronics."

"No, no one else knows. The Purple Guy just replaced the old animatronics with us," Bonnie finally spoke up. He still had his arm around Foxy, but seemed calmer.

6:00 AM.

They marched to their places, casting us looks over their shoulders.

Payton and I went outside. He seemed angry.

"I can't believe him," he said, looking at me. "It's almost worse than killing them."

"Just imagine what that would be like. To be stuck in their position for so long," I said, thinking. "We have to help them."

He nodded. "We do. But now?"

"I don't know." I shook my head. "But now, sleep."

He yawned. "Not that you mention it."

"Do you want to stay at my house tonight, since…" I trailed off.

He looked relieved. "Could I? Thank you!"

"Of course," I said, smiling. "Let's go."


	9. Chapter 9

When we reached my house, we decided that I'd sleep on the couch and he'd sleep in my bed. We were both exhausted and fell asleep immediately.

That night we woke up late and had to rush to the pizzeria. It was hard to get Payton into the car, but that was alright. He'd kept apologizing, but I just laughed.

When we got there, I reflected on how much things had changed, even during my short time at Freddy Fazbear's. I'd gone from being terrified of the animatronics to being their friends, and even pitying them.

I started. It felt wrong to call them animatronics anymore. They were far more human than I.

I took a shaky breath. They should be going to school, enjoying their lives. I wasn't that much older than them myself.

Chica bombarded us once more. "Yay! You're here! I was worried," she added more quietly.

Payton smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's alright. We just needed some extra sleep."

She beamed. "That's good. Everyone's waiting for you on the stage."

We smiled and followed her. Freddy was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the stage with Bonnie and Foxy on the edge next to each other. Freddy was watching them with a small smile on his face.

"How many fingers do you have?" I heard Bonnie ask.

"Three," Foxy answered, laughing.

"Okay," Bonnie said, and tapped Foxy's hook with a hand. I realized they were playing chopsticks and couldn't help but giggle at the normalcy of the situation.

Bonnie looked up, his ear twitching towards the sound, and smiled, getting up to greet us.

Freddy was already up and walking towards us. He smiled a little.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Good," Payton answered. "I slept over at Mike's, just in case."

He nodded. "That was a good idea. We can't be too careful."

We heard a door slam open behind us. We turned, seeing it was…

"Oh, no," Payton breathed from beside me.

"Oh yes," Vincent said, grinning.

Suddenly Freddy was beside me. "Leave this place, now," He growled, his blue eyes turning black.

Vincent giggled. "Don't feel like it."

I heard a creak and someone launched themselves at Vincent.

He looked almost exactly like Freddy, but he had golden hair and clothes. His eyes were black with white pinpricks of light. Oil ran down his cheeks, splashing his clothes.

"Goldie!" Freddy cried.

"Leave," Goldie hissed at Vincent. It was obviously an effort to say, his shoulders hunching.

"Ah, Golden Freddy," Vincent said. "The first to be reborn."

I felt arms wrap around me. Bonnie was hugging me tightly, obviously terrified. I hugged him back, petting his hair around his ears. His tears were getting my shirt wet, but I didn't care.

Vincent turned his attention to us. "Bonnie," he purred. "You were always my favorite. Purple is my favorite color, you know."

Bonnie whimpered.

"Stop it," Freddy hissed. He exchanged a pointed look with Goldie, and they both ran at Vincent, Goldie creaking. They tackled him to the ground.

"We have plans for you," Foxy growled, advancing.

"Planning for years," Chica added.

They dragged him, flailing, into a back room. A few minutes later we heard a scream, cut off into static.

I heard a sob next to me. Payton was crying. I put a hand on my shoulder as Bonnie was still clutching me. He'd stopped crying but was trembling violently.

Freddy and the others came out. He had a displeased look on his face, and was brushing blood off his suit.

Foxy quickly came over and detached Bonnie from me. He gave me an appreciative smile. I looked around to see Chica comforting Payton and Freddy and Goldie arguing, and I smiled.

Things would certainly turn out, I thought. They certainly would.


End file.
